Earlier this week, an administration official told NBC News that there were no plans to use federal agents to arrest Texas lawmakers who left the state.

The senator said the agency had agreed to help locate Democratic state legislators who left to try to block a vote on congressional redistricting.

Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, said on Thursday that FBI Director Kash Patel has granted his request for the federal government to assist with locating Texas House Democrats who fled the state in protest of GOP-led redistricting efforts.